The general concept of modular trenches is well-known in the prior art. Modular trenches are used where extensive amounts of liquid must be collected and moved from one place to another for drainage. The modular trenches typically transport the liquid to a drainage sewer. Traditionally, the modular trenches are U-shaped or V-shaped straight troughs and are installed adjacent to either roadways or buildings. They are installed in the ground and secured in place with concrete. In many cases, the modular trenches include grates to prevent large debris from falling into them and to permit people to walk over them.
In some instances, rather than installing the modular trenches adjacent to roadways or buildings, it may be necessary to install the modular trenches adjacent to a setting which requires that the modular trenches be slightly curved, such as, for example an outdoor running track, a sports field, or any other setting which may require curvature of the modular trenches. Traditionally, this results in the manufacturer providing the additional production step of bending the modular trenches before shipping them to the end customer for installation.
Currently, the process of bending the modular trenches to provide the slight curve required in some instances is time-consuming and expensive. Generally, the modular trenches are heated and then fit over a form to give the trench the desired curvature. Once the modular trenches are reshaped, they must further be shipped to the end customer while strapped onto the form so that the trenches retain their new shape and do not deform back towards their original shape.
In many instances, the settings which require the modular trenches to be slightly curved additionally do not allow for a constant radius of curvature, such as, for example, an outdoor running track, which has two elongated straight sides and two opposed curved ends. This results in several forms of varying curvature being used and further requires that the modular trenches be installed in a specific order to achieve the desired final shape. These specific installation requirements present an opportunity for the modular trenches to be installed incorrectly, which can result in the modular trenches needing to be taken out and/or reinstalled.